February 20, 2011

There are a lot of similarities between Hollywood and the advertising industry. Both are largely run by men. Both feature atrocious portrayals of women, or don't portray women at all. Both try to play on women's insecurities. The Advertising industry is especially guilty of this.

I hear many advertisers saying, "But that's what sells products."

But there is another way, a better way, a more powerful way, to sell products to women. A way that will resonate with her so deeply she will switch brands, be your biggest fan, and spread your message to her friends and family as well.

I saw this "better way" in action at the Athena Film Festival in New York. The festival featured films by women, and about women. The theme of the festival was, "Women and Leadership." Here are the lessons I took away about marketing to women.

Marketing to Women Lesson #1

You will have a better product/commercial/campaign if women are included at every level of the creation process.

February 08, 2011

It's not often I find a technology product that scores an "A" in marketing to women, but Kinect makes the grade. Here's why Kinect does a superb job of marketing video games to women.

How Kinect is marketing to women

Great name. It's very close to "connect" one of women's favorite words. Kinect also has cool simple sound to it.

Commercials focus on people, not the technology. Look at all of the Kinect commercials, and the solid focus is on people and their enjoyment of the game. You see very few shots of the game itself. (The game itself is usually the main focus of video game commercials rather than the users). When marketing technology to women, focus on the effects of the technology rather than the technology itself

Kinect stresses how easy it is to get started. Marketing messaging focuses on how easy it is to get started and jump right in. There isn't a big learning curve in order to enjoy the game. Women (and a lot of men) may not want to invest a lot of time learning before they can use technology.

It's a shared activity. In almost every marketing image you see multiple people using the game. Kinect knows women want activities that bring people together rather than isolate them.

Website with female friendly design. The Kinect website features several website design elements that women love - multiple bright colors, good use of white space, images of women, curved design elements, video front and center, and a focus on the benefits women value most - ease of use, fun that's good for you and customer review ratings from Amazon (which they've also added to their new TV commercial - bravo!)

When it comes to marketing video games to women, Kinect has a true winner. I could see this case being studied in marketing degree programs. And here's the added bonus, guys will respond well to this marketing as well. Do guys enjoy group activities, games that are easy to jump right in and use, focusing on the enjoyment and thrill you get rather than just focusing on the game itself? You betcha.

No matter what technology product you're marketing to women, you can learn a lesson from Kinect's highly successful efforts.

Another reason why credit unions should market to women is to attract women business owners. Women are starting their own businesses at a record pace. Women business owners are valuable customers looking for financing options and merchant services. And women-owned businesses are a good financial bet. Women-owned businesses are as financially sound and creditworthy as the typical firm in the U.S. economy, and are more likely to remain in business than the average U.S. firm.

Finally, women want what credit unions have to offer. Women are very community oriented and like the personal touch that credit unions bring to the customer experience.

Credit unions looking for a financial edge should take a closer look at connecting with women. Let's look at specific things you can do to attract and retain women customers, including a real-life example of a credit union doing just that.